Breast Cancer Community

HI

I truly do not know all the ins and outs of pathology reports. Once the cancer is found in another organ or part of the body it is stage 111B - Write down all your questions for your Dr's appointment on Friday and do not believe everything you read on the internet, as you are one in hundreds. Ask your Dr for a PET Scan, it will show if it has moved anywhere else in your body. Sorry do not mean to be so straight forward.
Good Luck I hope that all will be well.

Mary

Your are in the ballpark as your cancer is probably staged as either IIA or IIB.
Also T4 indicates a larger size tumor - as the size of tumor goes from T0(smallest size) up to T4 (largest size).
Hormone positive indicates the need to take an anti-estrogen pill for 5 years.
I would suggestthatyou ask to have the oncotype test done on the tumor to help determine what type of chemo you should have. You did not mention chemo 0 but with node involvment I would think you will have chemo.
Also, whether or not you will need radiation depends on the size and location of the tumor - so I would definitely ask your doctor if you will have to have radiation as well as chemo.
Your stage of cancer is very, very treatable.
So - make a list of questions for your doctor - chemo, radiation, oncotype test, and anything else you can think of. For your peace of mind you need to have all your questions answered.
We understand your anxiety, but you need to believe that your cancer is treatable.
If you need more answers about your pathology report you can call the NCI at 1-800=4-cancer to speak to one of their counselors.
Please let us know how you make out.
Mucj good luck,
Judy

Stage 3b usually involves spread to the skin or chest wall and perhaps to lymph nodes. Any involvement of organs or bone is stage 4.

You can learn about the stages of breast cancer at http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/what_is_bc.jsp#Stages

With positive nodes and invasive lobular carcinoma, it's highly likely you will be advised to undergo chemo. I'm not so sure that most oncologists would recommend an Oncotype test as it's usually done for small cancers that haven't spread to the nodes.

I agree that a PET/CT scan is a good idea, if your oncologist will order it and your insurance will cover it. Mine identified cancerous internal mammary nodes that would not have been known without the scan. We used it to gauge the effectiveness of chemo. My post-chemo scan showed the nodes as all clear.

Best of luck to you!

Michelle

The members have given you some very good suggestions as well as answers. Please know that you are in our thoughts.

Blessings.
Rachael

Judy, that phone number for pathology questions might be a very good one to list in our "Tips"!!

Thanks for all the support you always offer...and the information!!

Blessings.
Rachael

I wanted to update everyone as to what has gone on in the 8 months since I posted the above question. My cancer was indeed Stage IIIB, and a 2nd opinion that SHOULD have happened before I allowed myself to be rushed into surgery suggested that the surgeon basically ignored the fact that since there was very obvious skin involvement of the nipple and aureola (he even commented on it a couple of times), that in addition to the two types of cancer found within the tumor and nodes, I also have inflammatory (or a sub-type of it, at least). I lost all confidence in my surgeon, as even after "I" researched and staged the cancer myself from the path report, called a couple of places for verification, and asked him DIRECTLY - he still refused to absolutely confirm a Stage - as though it wasn't terribly important. Also, his nurse was in such a hurry when removing my staples that she left one in and covered by a butterfly that I didn't remove and so find the staple for 3 weeks. His office was so unconcerned over this when I called to tell them about it that I actually had the staple removed when I went to Vandy for my 2nd opinion - where they were basically horrified at pretty much my entire treatment including the fact that I had been assured that having a prophylactic mastectomy of the other breast would improve my survival statistics, which I have learned since is patently untrue. So, I'll be keeping that other breast, thankyouverymuch.
I underwent 16 weeks of dose-dense chemo - once every two weeks. My 2nd opinion also insisted that radiation was an absolute necessity, no matter what any of the other doctors said - I was referred to a radiology oncologist who I like VERY much and who I believe will be absolutely straight with me. I told him I had no interest in being coddled, that I would do my own research as well as relying on him for answers and God help him if I found out that he had intentionally misled me or, worse, lied outright. He seems like a really good guy - is treating me very aggressively since he agrees with me that at this point I may only get a single bite of this particular apple. He is doing 7 weeks, 5 days a week, from mid neck to midline of chest, down to upper abdomen and around side really into the front part of my back, up into my armpit and down into the chest wall. I've had (I think) my 17th rad treatment, and while my skin is tolerating it much better than either the dr or I expected, I am one of what he says is a very small subset of people who are sensitive - not allergic, but sensitive - to ionizing radiation. They thought I was nuts for a couple of weeks, because I kept telling them that my skin doesn't really hurt, but that I can actually feel it down deep into my chest WHILE THE BEAM IS ON. It's the freakiest thing. And scared me to death until he finally explained a few days ago about the sensitivity, and that in his experience it had no bearing on how well treatment worked or didn't.
Because my surgeon broke protocol so badly by doing surgery before chemo for my particular cancer (he is fired, btw - he saw me exactly one time after surgery!), then I was invalidated for clinical trials except for one at Vandy. They are double-blind testing Metformin (the diabetes drug), and I qualify for that. Even if it doesn't help me, it may help someone else.
So - radiation ends (tentatively) June 18. Then we start on whichever hormone therapy my medical oncologist and I finally hash out and agree on - my menapausal status is exactly midpoint between pre and post even though I went thru hot flashes like 6 years ago. (partial hyst. at age of 30 makes the usual indicators moot). So, I'm researching hormone drugs - since I have fibro and arthritis, anything that worsens joint/muscle pain isn't my first choice, but if it gives me better survival chances then the pain isn't even on the list.
So - those are all of the pertinent physical statistics. As for the emotional...that's a whole 'nother 4000 characters plus!

Dear Babbit,

What nightmare!!! Damn that doctor...and damn him again!!! Shame on someone whose first admonition should be to "do no harm"!!!

How dare anyone be so incompetent and then argue that he basically is the expert and knows best! Shame on you, Sir!! I will not even give you the benefit of addressing you as a doctor...You bring shame the entire profession!

Am how very sorry I am that you, our Friend, had to endure his dreadful and totally inappropriate treatment! Thank God you sought another physician...and that you have found a medical team who knows what they are doing and how best to address you and your cancer! And, hurray for you and your persistance in researching!!

I am glad that you made it plain that there would be no more "miscommunication" between you and your doctors, although, truth be told, it sounds as if they were already on the same page! YES!

Yes, your rare sensitivity is something new on this board as far as I know. That must certainly be an odd feeling. I am so glad that it won't evidentally make a difference in effectiveness. Thanks for sharing it here as in the future someone else may also fill the bill of being like the "Princess and the Pea" and will learn from your experiences!

Please know that we will continue to hold you in our thoughts and hearts. And please feel free to come here to talk or to complain or to whatever...If you run out of characters, simply put an addition on the original post!!

Many blessings.
Rachael

(PS...If you have not made a report about the "idiot," please do so...No one else should have to suffer like you did/are doing!!)